And if you want to put the finishing touches to a steam train, a wireless radio or secure your 1920s hammock, then Bernardes is a must.

The shop, proudly run by four generations of the Bernardes family in Plaistow, south-east London, since 1908, has a stock room from the Edwardian era.

And, although it may look frozen in time, its owner Ian Bernardes and son John still know where everything is – down to the last nut and bolt.

Back in time… Inside Bernardes Trading Ltd (Pictures: SWNS)

Some of them are unique, such as the brass screws that were only ever used to hold down the decking on the Woolwich Ferry 60 years ago.

John, 36, said: ‘We’re a real kind of ‘‘four candles, fork handles’’ sort of shop, like the hardware store in the Two Ronnies sketch (top left). I’m proud of that. Our inventory is really something of wonder, we have so much stuff that nobody even uses any more, let alone makes or needs.

‘We’ve got bunk straps that used to be used to hold up hammocks on Merchant Navy vessels in the 1920s.

‘I think we last sold one of those before I was born. Our filing system is what you’d call organised chaos. We know where everything is but there’s no discernable system.’
John’s mother Janet, 61, also works at the shop.

She said: ‘We don’t use computers, apart from when John needs to do the finances. We’re still here, so we must be doing something right.’